Flying machine



June 9, 1925. 1,540,754

C. c. BLACKMORE FLYING MACHINE 'J 67W Vg 01,0%@

IIMINIH/ June 9, 1925.

C. C. BLACKMORE FLYING MACHINE 3 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Dec. 6, 1922 June 9, 1925. 1,540,754

c. c. BLACKMORE FLYING MACHINE Filed Dec. 6. 1922 25 Sheets-Sheet 3 Parental .ruse 9, 1925.

,UNITED STATES l C E CHARLES C. BLACKMORE, F DAYTON, OHIO.

FLYING MACHINE.

Application led December 6, 1922. Serial No. 605,159.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. BLACK- MoRn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flying Machines, of which the` following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing. u

My invention relates to flying machines, and in particular to helicopters.

It is the object of my invention to provide a helicopter which will be capable of both vertical and horizontal movement,l and of maintaining its equilibrium in the air.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a mechanism of this character which may eli'ectively employ a plurality of propellers which will not interfere with one another; and which shall be so arranged as to enable the operator to secure the full advantage from both propellers.`

It is an additional object of my invention to provide in combination with the v Propellers, a gyroscopic action which will maintain the air.

It is a further object of my invention toV provide means of adjustingthe position of my propellers to influence the direction of flight, and to likewise adjust, if desired, the gyroscopic mechanism.

It is a further object to provide parachutes and mechanism to release them for use in event that the remainder of the mechanism does not operate as desired.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a, side elevation of the coinplete machine. u

Figure 2 is a plan view of certain arcuate guide rails and a carriage used in connection with the helicopter propeller shaft.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the propellers and the gyroscopic mechanism.

Figure 4 is a section showing the control mechanismfor releasing the parachute.

Figure 5 is a section at right angles to the section of Figure 4 showing a similar mechanism. c

Figure 6 shows the details of the driving mechanism for the propellers.

Figure 7 shows the details of the driving gearing.

Referring to the drawings in detail, 1 1

equilibrium of the ship in the .are ground wheels supporting a braced frame work consisting of the members 2, 3

and 4 between which are the braces 5 and the diagonal struts 6. Suitable guy wires 7 may be rovided if desired.

Mounte upon 3 areany suitable sources of power such as the engines 8 8 which are connected to a gear base 9 from which the main power' shafts 10- are driven. 11 is an operators seat for controlling the various levers and steering the vehicle when on the ground, if desired. 1

12 is a rudder actuated by the rudder wires 13 leading to steering device 14 adjacent the operators seat.

The main driving shaft is connected by a universal joint 15 to a stub shaft 16 upon which is mounted a pair of beveled gears. These gears are designated 17 and 18 respectively. They engage with the gears 19 and 20 which drive the outside propeller generally designated 21 and the inside propeller designated 22. The gears 19 and 20 are mounted upon hollow driving shafts 23 and 24 respectively, which are in turn connected to the propellers 21 and 22. 23 is connected to the large propeller 21 through a collar 23a upon which are mounted the arms 25 carrying the ring 26, and upon which are mounted blades 27.

The smaller propeller 22 which is connected to the hollow driving shaft 24 con.- sists of a plurality of blades, the tips of which are connected to a ring 28. Y These rings are heavy annular bands, and are so designed in order to secure a gyroscopic effect, due to their rapid rotation about a given axis, thus insuring the stability desired on the part of a ship of this character.

lVitliin the hollow driving shaft 24 is a hollow supporting tube 29, which is counected to the frame work of the ship on the frame 50 at its lower end bv the ball (See Figures 6 and 7). 29 supports the cup of the parachute 30 and the parachute arms 31, which support the `fabric 32. This tubular member 29 also supports the cup member 33 which houses the lower ends 34 of the parachute in its closed condition. lVhen itis desired to open the parachute, the retraction of this cup member by the rod 35 permits the` parachute to open. A collar 36 engages the exterior of the tubular member 29 in order to guide it into and out of engagement with the parachute. The connection between 35 and the cup 33 is effee-ted through a slot 37 cut in the side walls of the tubular member 29. A'helical s ring surrounds the rod 35, which spring is esignated 38, and serves normally to mamtam the cup 33 in engagement with the lower ends 34 of the parachute. A stop 39 engages one end of the sprmg 38, wh1le the cup engages the other end of the spring.

Th's rod 35 passes directly between the structure of the ship to a bell crank 40 pivoted at 41 upon the frame 30. An actuating rod 42 actuates, this bell crank through a second bell crank 43 pivoted at 44. This second bell crank is connected with the rod 45 with the bell crank 46 pivoted to the frame as at 47. This third bell crank in turn is attached by the rod 48 to the hand lever 49, which is used to actuate the mechanism controlling the parachute.

It will be noted that the connection between bell crank 40 and the rod 42 is a pivotal one. There is a ball and socket joint at this ing gear of an automobile, with a cushion spring to permit of some adjustment of the parts.

The frame work supporting the gears consists of two parts; a V-shaped member 50 suspended from the frame 3 having a bracket 51.

When it is desired to change the position of the entire assembly of parachute and propellers from the vertical in order to secure horizontal movement of the ship, this is accomplished by actuating a control rod 54 which `is attached at 55 to the assembly r of the driving parts controlling the pro- 'pellers This rod 54 is actuated by a lever 56. The gears are so arranged that the gears 19 and 20 will roll upon the gears 19 and 20, thus permit-ting some degree of movement of the entire assembly out of the vertical. This pivotal movement takes place on the ball 30".

In order to guide this movement, the track 57 is provided, upon which the rollers 58 travel. These rollers are attached to the assembly by a collar 59 which has projecting arms 60 forming bearings for the (See Figure 2).

Returning to Figure 3 and the principal `feature of my invention it will be observed that the members 25 are projected outwardly through the ring 26 in order to form supports for the plane surfaces 27. It will be understood that such plane surfaces may be made adjustable if desired. It is my object to have these surfaces, together with their ring, travel in one direction, and the inner propeller travel 1n the other direction, withv the outer propeller traveling at a`speed approximately onetenth that of the inner.

While I have shown and described cerlocation such as on the steer-4 it will be understood that parts have been shown for purposes of illustration only, and

that I do not desire to be limited to auch details, as obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. j

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and deslre to secure by Letters Patent, is f 1. In a helicopter, a lifting propeller, a shaft supporting said liftingv propeller at its upper end, means to support the lower end of said shaft to ermit the same to swing in a vertical pane, a carriage supporting said shaft a jacent its upper end, an arcuate guide way supporting said carriage, said uide way bein concentric to the point a ut .which sai shaft swings, and a parachute carried by the upper end of said shaft and swin 'ng therewlth.

2. In a helicopter, a iftm'g propeller, a

shaft supporting said lifting pro eller at v its upper end, means to support t e lower end of said shaft to permit the same to swing in a vertical plane, a carriage supporting said shaft adjacent its upper end, an arcuate guide way supporting said carriage, said ide way being concentric to the point a out which said shaft swings, an extension on the upper end of said shaft, an umbrella parachute fixed to the upper end of said extension and normally folded downwardly to have its peripheral edge at the lower end of the extension, and means to hold said parachute from s reading and controllable by the operator o the helicopter to release the parachute for spreading.

3. In a helicopter, a lifting propeller, a shaft supporting said lifting propeller at its upper end, means to support the lower end of said' shaft to permit the same to swing in a vertical plane, a carriage supporting said shaft adjacent its upper end, an arcuate guide way supporting said carriage, said guide way being concentric to the point about which said shaft swings, an extension on the upper end of said shaft, an umbrella parachute fixed to the upper end of said extension and normally folded downwardly to have its peripheral edge at the lower end of the extension, said shaft and extension being tubular throughout, a collar slidably mounted on the extension and engaging the peripheral edge of the folded parachute, a spring normally holding the collar raised, and means extending upwardly in said hollow shaft and connected to the collar to pull the same downwardly against the spring and thereby release the parachute.

In testimony whereof, 'I aflix my signature.

CHARLES C. BLACKMORE.

lll 

